Abruzzo

What to say about Abruzzo?

You heard it mentioned so many times by your granny or your grandad, or by aunts and uncles, those members of your family who have a direct and vivid memory of this region.

And you looked for it on the map to understand where it was, to see that little part of Italy where the roots of your family are.

Or perhaps you already know it because you have been here, you still have cousins or other relatives here and you’ve had the opportunity to meet them, to visit the village that your grandparents left one day, to tighten the relationship with the part of the family that remained in Abruzzo.

In both cases you know what Abruzzo was then: a region with a difficult territory, where life was hard, a poor land whose main activities were agriculture and sheep farming, where there was not enough work for everybody.

So emigration seemed to be the only solution and many villages literally depopulated, their citizens scattered in the USA, Canada, Australia, South America or Northern Europe.

So many families were divided between the two sides of the ocean, so many little Abruzzese communities were created in so many countries, to keep the memories and the traditions of that beloved region alive.

My life could have been different, you know, because my great-great-grandfather emigrated to the USA two times at the beginning of the 20th century (it was 1906 when he went the second time): he was a skilled bricklayer and he easily found a job. But while the other emigrants asked their wives and children to leave Abruzzo and join them in the US, he decided to go back to his town of Spoltore. I sometimes wonder: what would have happened of my family and of myself if he had decided to stay in the USA, instead! Things would have been so different!

Anyway, through the decades Abruzzo has changed deeply in some ways, but in others it has remained the same.

The depopulation of many towns and villages had the effect of leaving these places quite untouched, and now we see that as a positive things, because they haven’t been spoilt by modernity, keeping in this way all their beauty and charm.

This has also allowed many areas of the region to remain unpolluted and now, thanks to the presence of many national and regional parks, this is the greenest region of Europe!

Luckily, many activities of the past are still alive and in this way we preserve this rich heritage of a thousand-year knowledge.

So, coming back to Abruzzo villages, you can really have the impression that time has stopped, that everything is exactly the way it was on that day your grandfather decided to leave on a carriage to reach Naples and board on a big ship, like the Königin Luise, the one my grand-grand-father boarded on in 1906.

If you don’t know Abruzzo yet…

Where is Abruzzo exactly?

It’s in the centre of Italy, on the Adriatic coast, and – as you can see – it’s very near to Rome!

This means that it is very easy to reach the main cities of Abruzzo from the international airport of Rome-Fiumicino (there are specific direct connections with the airport!).

There are also flights that directly connect Pescara with important European cities such as London, Brussels and Frankfurt.

Is that all? Of course not! You will also find modern cities, lively nightlife, shows and events, lots of opportunities to relax, have fun and do every possible kind of indoor and outdoor sports, both in winter and in summer, both on the snow and on the beach!

And the most interesting thing is that you don’t have to drive for hours and hours to find all these options: only a half an hour drive separates the blue sea from the highest mountains of the Apennines!

Why is Abruzzo an amazing wedding destination?

Here you can find venues full of charm that will be the perfect frame for your unique wedding, the rich and delicious recipes of our traditional cuisine and renowned, award winning wines that you and your guests will be delighted to taste!

You’ll have a wide choice of excellent professionals who work in the weddings industry with passion and talent and who will help you make your ceremony the greatest event of your life.

If you want a Catholic ceremony, you can choose among ancient abbeys, cathedrals, or small country churches; for the civil wedding there are ancient deconsecrated cloisters or monasteries, elegant villas or even the beach (legal weddings on the beach are not usual in Italy, but they have recently been approved in some cities here in Abruzzo, such as Pescara, Pineto, and Francavilla al Mare).

If you prefer a symbolic ceremony, the options are countless: in the gardens or parks of elegant villas or restored country houses, in medieval castles, on the beach, in ancient hamlets on the mountains or even in evocative wine cellars surrounded by centennial barrels.

You can have your reception in many of these places, otherwise there is a wide choice of wedding reception venues: elegant hotels and restaurants, picturesque country farms, both near the sea or on the mountains.

Now, think of all these wonderful things and imagine your wedding in this daydream scenario: isn’t it perfect?

Abruzzo is the perfect place for your perfect day.

About

L’Arabesque Events is an Italian wedding planning agency specialized in destination weddings in Italy and particularly in Abruzzo. You can rely on L’Arabesque Events’ professional services to plan your wedding under every aspect. Behind L’Arabesque Events, there is me: Chiara Valente, a wedding planner & consultant with a deep passion and enthusiasm for this job, together with broad education and training and the will to offer a competent, qualified and professional service.

Services

Finding the most charming venue, the best catering, that will satisfy all your food preferences, from the international cuisine to the famous recipes of the Italian culinary tradition, the most professional photographers and video makers who will allow you to relive every moment and every emotion of the most beautiful day of your life! But not only this: we will be your help also for all that concerns the legal and logistic aspects to ensure you that everything will run smoothly.